Which aftermarket steering wheel?

[Christopher Lawless]

As a bit of a cheer myself up present I was thinking of going for the Eliseparts removable steering wheel kit to make it a lot easier to get in and out of the car in the garage. However this means a new steering wheel and I have no idea which.

Just thought I would see what the consensus was out there on which is the best wheel for feel, size, durability etc?

Thanks all

[Daveb99]

I had a Momo Team (280mm) when I changed mine a couple of years ago.   The standard wheel is 300mm I think, so the smaller size made the steering feel even more direct.

Many prefer the larger size though, really it’s personal preference, the Sparco wheels are popular too.

[DeanB]

I have a sparco in suede that is a teeny bit larger than standard and i love it.  I prefer the slightly larger size.

From experience things you need to consider are:-

Size - smaller means heavier steering and i thought it might feel even more nervous on uneven roads.

On the other hand i found larger means my right leg can touch the bottom of the wheel when heel and toeing (made worse because the Lotus wheel is offset towards the top, meaning more of it above the centre of the boss than below - aftermarket wheels aren't offset). Getting in and out is obviously harder for me too but as you are getting a detachable boss that's not an issue.

Think about how close to you you want the wheel as different bosses and spacers are available.

Suede feels really nice and is usefully a lot more grippy than my shiny old leather wheel

Make sure if you are getting a detachable boss you get one that has zero play in it - i can't think of a better way of ruining a Lotus than by adding some play in the steering.

When i got the sparco it cheered me up no end though buddy so go for it!

[stratosboy]

I got myself the smaller 280mm Momo Team wheel too on a Brown & Geeson removable hub (these are fitted by Lotus to the Cup cars)

 

[Christopher Lawless]

16 minutes ago, stratosboy said:

I got myself the smaller 280mm Momo Team wheel too on a Brown & Geeson removable hub (these are fitted by Lotus to the Cup cars)

 

That looks a real nice bit of kit. If you don't mind me asking, how much was the removable boss and where from? Does it run on splines?

[stratosboy]

got mine from Dave at Seriously Lotus

quick release coupling below is £98 + VAT          and the hub which fits onto the splines is £160 + VAT

please note that by fitting this into an airbag car, you loose this.

[Christopher Lawless]

What's the play like in it? As Dean says I want to go for the tightest feeling one out there really.

[stratosboy]

really good quality - no play whatsoever, heard the Snap-off type hub is more prone to wear

do a search on Seloc, there will be reviews of these on there. 

I did quite a lot of research before deciding on this removable hub for exactly the same reasons you are.

[MilesH]

On 11/03/2018 at 14:08, Daveb99 said:

The standard wheel is 300mm I think, so the smaller size made the steering feel even more direct.

The standard wheel is 320mm

 

[dobbo]

Think I have a spare Momo Corse (looks very similar to the Momo Team above) in the garage if you're interested.  Can get a photo if you want.

[jody391]

Oreca is a good one and £99!

http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=3797&appid=5

 

[scatty]

I had the 300mm momo on my previous, same as the others just slightly bigger. But much smaller than standard. I got the Elise parts removable boss as well. I didn’t find it particularly easy to fit and line up. The b and g one looks loads better. 

Worth trying both wheels as the 280 felt too small for me and slightly obscured the dials, but I am giraffe like. Deffo the best looking wheel though imo.

[Christopher Lawless]

Yeah I don' find the standard wheel "too big" so may be slightly smaller would be ok but wouldn't want to go loads smaller. 

I thought the Elise parts one had dots to line up everything? I do like the look of that B&G one. How easy is it to take on and off and line up?

[stratosboy]

13 hours ago, Christopher Lawless said:

 I do like the look of that B&G one. How easy is it to take on and off and line up?

just pushes on, will only fit in one position, so hub has to be fitted exactly right. Mine is dead centre.

To remove: depress small button on top of B&G unit, pull paddles towards wheel and wheel disengages from ball bearings (you'll see from my earlier pics the indentations for these on the top hat section of the removable kit. There isn't any other moving parts to wear as such. I had mine fitted by Ind Lotus specialist due to airbag needing deactivating, small fuse needs to be fitted and horn wiring needs a slight mod.

[Christopher Lawless]

Sounds like it might be decision made. Now need to pick a steering wheel. I do like the Momo Team if i go for a leather wheel.

 

Edit.

Other than Demon Tweaks (which is a bit of a trek) where is good to go play with new steering wheels?